Bracelet.



' 1; W W @Mm E. l. COOMBS.

BRACELET.

APPLICATION FILED APR. 3. 1913.

1,141,614. V Patented June 1, 1915.

Edyar I. 60021265 Guam;

THE NORRIS PETERS CO, PHOTD-LITHQ, WASHINGTON D C.

friirr*rn sans EDGAR I. COOMBS, OF PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, ASSIGNOR TO B. A. BALLOU AND COMPANY, INC., 05 PROVIDENCE, RHODE ISLAND, A. CORPORATION OF RHODE ISLAND.

BRACELET.

Application filed April 3, 1913.

To all whom it may concern Be it known that I, EDGAR I. CooMBs, a citizen of the United States, and resident .of the city of Providence, in the county of hinged together and provided with a spring check for frictionally retaining the free ends of the bracelet together.

The invention further consists in provid ing a guard for limiting the opening swing of their free ends on said hinge, and the object of the invention is to provide such a bracelet with a guard member having one .end fixed to one of the tubular sections and provided with one or more spring fingers or members adapted to be engaged by portions of the other section for releasably securing the sections in closed position. It is usual in bracelets of this class to have a positive lock for securing these ends together, the same being provided with a thumb nail presser pin to release the lock, but by my improved construction the necessity of this hand of the wearer.

With these and other objects in view, the invention consists of certain novel features of construction, as will be more fully described'and particularly pointed outvin the appended claims.

Of the accompanying drawings: Figure 1is a side elevation showing a tubular bracelet in closed position a portion being broken away at the oint to show the hinge member. Fig. 2-is an enlarged view showing a portion of the ends of the tubular sections as drawn apart in open position and partly in section showing the guard member mounted therein as limiting its opening motion. Fig. 3-is an enlarged sectional top view showing the ends of the tubular sections together and retained in position by Specification of Letters Patent.

Serial No. 758,620.

one end of the guard member as soldered or retained in the tubular section. Fig. 5is a perspective view showing the cup or thimble shaped member inserted into the end of one of the sections and slotted to receive and guide the guard member. Fig. 6is a detail illustrating the preferred form of guard member having a pair of notched resilient fingers adapted to be engaged for retaining the ends of the sections together. Fig. 7 is a' modification illustrating the guard as provided with one spring finger instead of two,

The bracelet is constructed of two hollow or tubular sections 10 and. 11 connected together at 12 by a hinge joint of any preferred construction. It is found in the practical use of bracelets of this class that where the free endsare not limited in their opening motion that owing to the great leverage the joint portion is often bent or sprung and so rendered inoperative. To obviate this difiiculty I have mounted an improved form of guard member 13 in the free ends of the tubular sections,said member being preferably constructed of thin fiat spring metal and is arranged to limit the opening motion of these ends and to assist in guiding them one into the other as the bracelet is being closed. To further facilitate the interengaging of these two ends upon being closed, I have provided a tubular guide member 14, see Fig. 5. having its outer edge turned inward forming a lip 16- and leaving a slot or opening 15 through which the body of the guard is adapted to slide as the bracelet is opened and closed. The outer end of this tube 14 is arranged to extend a short distance beyond the end 11 of its section whereby it will enter the end of the opposite section to fit closely therein, and positively prevent lateral motion of these ends when the bracelet is closed.

My improved guard member is preterablyprovided with a pair of resilient fingers 17 and 18 which are formed integral .with and are laterally extendible from opposite edges of said guard member. These fingers are provided near their free ends with cam-shaped edges 19 and 20 and are notched or recessed or depressed inwardly at 21 and 22.

The end 23 of this guard member adjacentthese fingers, extends into and is fixed to the end of the tubular section 10 by solder,

Patented June 1, 1915.

apart this tongue will abut the inner surface of the lip 16 of the guide member and limit the opening motion of the bracelet. In closing the bracelet the inwardly turned 11p portions 27 and 28 of the guide member 14 ride over the cam portions 1.9 and 20 of the fingers 17 and 18 pressing said fingers inward. These lips then enter the notched or reduced portions 21 and 22 of these fingers thus providin a spring check or frictional detent to releasably retain these ends together whereby an excessive pull or unusual strain on the ends of the sections will cause said fingers to yield inwardly and permit the lips 27 and 28 to" ride over the cam-shaped edges, and allow the bracelet to be opened. In my improvedconstructionit will be seen that the retainingmechanism is releasably held by a spring check or frictional detent whereby the free ends of the section may be readily drawn apart to open the bracelet without the necessity of operating an objectionable thumb nail presser pin for releasing a positive locking mechanism, and yet my device is so constructed as to firmly retain said ends when moved to closed position; Y

I do' not wish to be restricted to the provisionjof two'spring fingers, one on either side of the guard member, as single spring finger 30, asillustratedin Fig. 7, may be employed for this purpose if desired.

I have illustrated and described the bracelet as having its resilientretaining means carried by a guard member, but I do not wish to bere's'tricted to the use of the guard niemberfor this purpose, as the free ends of the bracelet may be releasably connected together and retained by friction means constructed independent of said guard if desired.

I claim:

1. A bracelet comprising two tubular sections hinged together and having imperfora'te side Walls, a guard member secured to 'Ciipies of this patent may be obtainedfoiseparating movement'of said section's.

one section and provided with a resilient portion, a guide member secured to the other section and movable therewith to engage the resilient portion of the guard member when tending lip to engage said spring fingers; when the two sections are in closed position to increase the tension upon, s'a1d 'fingers sufliciently to provide a, friction lock;

3. A bracelet comprising two tubular sec-' tlons hinged together at one end and having imperforate' walls, a guard member secured to one section and provid'ed'w'ithr one or'more integral yieldable spring fingers having curved ends therein, and a guide 'memberattached to the other section and; movable therewith, said guide member having an inward-1y ext'e'nding lip to engage said spring fingers when thejsections'are in closed-position to increase the tension upon said fingers' sufficiently to provide a friction lock,

said guard member having means c'otiperatmg wlt'hthe guide member for'1'im1t1ng the 4:. A bracelet comprising two'tubular s'e'cv tions hinged together, and having imperforate walls, a guard member secured to one section and providedwith a resilient" portion, an integral resilient stop finger, a guide member secured to the opposite section and frictionally engaging said resilient'portion when the two' sections' are in closed position,

whereby the'bracelet may be" openedbya 7 Pull sufficient to overcome the frictional eir presence oftwo witnesses.-

Witnesses:

HOWARD E. B RLoW,

Washington; 15: G. V

' gagement, said guide ab'uttingsaid" stop finge'r when the sections" are in open position. 7 In testimony whereof- I mix my signature EDGAR r. toe-Mes five cents each, by addressing the Commissioner of; fatent w. 

